Kiyoi Tsukikage
by Dark-Kalli
Summary: Beautiful Moonlight A Tale of conflict, hard decisions and romance in unlikely places.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_"I killed people, all to protect the happiness of the weak. But you lost your happiness... So that means you really didn't know. I took important things in my own hands. I was... I had no right..."_

- _Rurouni_ _Kenshin_

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Aged black eyes stared on the scene below. Sweeping her long black hair from her face, she watched the sparing match before her. It truly would have made a great portrait of saiyan pride and strength. Two warriors locked in battle, neither yielding but always struggling to overcome their opponent. As the battle went on it was clear that one of the two were getting tired. A careless mistake and then it was over, with said saiyan-jin sprawled on the floor in defeat.

The victor smirked triumphantly, raising his eyes towards the figure on the alcove above and waved. She smiled gently at him, marveling at just how strong he had become in such a short amount of time. Pride filled her heart as he helped the other man to his feet, not something widely done by their race. He was a great warrior and also had something that was uncharacteristic of her species. Compassion. She was an oddity as well with her straight hair and submissively kind demeanor but it worked to her advantage.

"Well done my son," she called out to him. He grinned, just like he always did from his youth whenever he won a battle. It brought back such memories………….

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_Softness engulfed him as he cried, burying his head in her neck, taking in her reassuring scent. She tried as best as she could to comfort him, to take away his pain and sadness and to leave him more cheerful but today was particularly bad. His own father had deemed him worthless and it broke his heart and his spirit._

"_Why, why am I so different from the other?" he pleaded for a response as he looked at her with glassy clear blue eyes._

"_I'm so sorry my son," she said holding him tighter. She knew that she shouldn't but she was a mother after all and decided to accept whatever consequences that came with it. Lifting his face with her fingers, she brushed away his tears with her skirt and picked him up, carrying him to her bed._

"_It's because you're special, my prince. You have a great legacy to live up to. You come from a strong line, the strongest of them all, the royal bloodline. Never let anyone make you feel inferior to them. They should cower at the mere mention of your name," She said forcefully._

_He listened to her with rapt attention, his eyes never shifting away from hers. "Then why do I look different," he pressed._

"_Because you are a legend._ _Your birth has been foretold centuries before you were even thought to have been born. You are the one who will lead this great race to domination, and our people to unity."_

"_I don't understand," he whispered, looking at the solemn expression on his mother's face._

"_A saiyan of noble bloodlines, from the houses of the east and west, will be born when the stars Sirius, Andromeda and Olftonia are in perfect alignment. Those stars are very sacred to our race, they are where we originated. But a child will be born in the likeness of those gods, hair, eyes and nature, will be different. This is the tale which has been passed down by my tribe," She ended looking at him. His eyes were wide, and it was clear that she couldn't understand all that she had said._

"_It's alright that you don't understand, my prince. But tell me, why don't you like to spar? Do you not want to become the strongest saiyan like the others your age?"_

"_No, I can't explain but whenever I see someone hurt, it makes me angry and I don't want to fight and hurt someone. What's wrong with me?" he asked her._

'_He is a rarity indeed,' she thought as she took his face into her hands and kissed his forehead. "If you do not wish to fight for power my son, then fight for your fellow saiyan. Fight to bring us together and end this war. Become strong and fight for a time without war, where no-one will suffer. It is only through fighting that you will end it."_

"_Yes, I will," he said, his eyes briefly glowing for a moment. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw that and she wondered just how many of the legends that she had learned where going to come true. _

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"You almost never come to see me spar anymore, I was surprised to find you here," The man from earlier spoke out, startling her from her thoughts.

"You shouldn't do that to an old woman, my prince," she chastised gently, pressing a hand to her chest in an effort to ease her heartbeat.

"Sorry Toma, I should remember that you aren't as sharp as the rest of us," he chuckled as she glared at him.

"Don't be so sure, I can still hold my own against any opponent. It's amazing how strong you are Prince Burian. You've easily surpassed your father, although he wouldn't admit it."

He smirked as he already knew that. His father had taken to avoiding sparing with him because he sensed that. The last time was well over a year ago, he still remembered to lose to him though, to preserve his ego and status as ruler. If anyone knew that he was stronger, it would definitely upset the delicate balance of power that they had. "I know Toma."

"I'm glad you're here my prince, I have something important to discuss with you," she said sitting on the edge of her bed. She patted a spot next to her and Burian followed, sitting besides her. "You're growing up my son, and now is the time that you should think about getting a wife. Your father will step down from his throne soon and you need someone to stand besides you and support you as you rule."

"I know this," he snapped. He didn't want to discuss that right now.

"I know that you don't want to talk about this but it's important. You have already been eligible to marry for over a year now and yet you haven't found a mate. Why is it so hard my son," she begged, taking his hand.

"Toma…….." he growled out snatching his hand from hers.

"You have your father's temper," she spoke softly, running her hand over his forehead, just like when her was a boy. "I am not your father; you can open up to me."

Burian sighed, his resistance all but vanished. "Most saiyan women lack something alright?"

"What?"

"I don't want to marry someone just for the sake of marriage and her bearing my heir. I don't know what I want, but I certainly want more than what you and father share," he spoke out solemnly.

"Then a saiyan woman isn't for you," she replied getting up and returning to her alcove. He followed.

"What?"

"There is another prophesy," she said slowly, unsure of whether she wanted to tell him that. He barely forgot the first one since he was so young when she told him that but this one he'll remember. "It speaks about an alien princess, but, I really can't remember the details," she said quickly, lying in order to not affect him.

"An alien princess?" he questioned a little intrigued.

"I don't remember the details, besides it's just a story anyway. But what of the young saiyan onnas that you have been seeing?"

He looked at the woman who gave him life and turned his head away from her. She was hiding something, but pressing her to tell him wasn't the way to get her to talk. It'll come out eventually. "They don't interest me. None that I have met are suitable. All they do is throw themselves at my feet in hopes that I will recognize them. Hardly worth my time, although they amuse me for a few hours in my bedroom."

Toma shook her head. He was exactly like his father was before they got married. It's true that they didn't have a happy and loving marriage, but that didn't matter in politically arranged ones. She wanted more for her son though, and that is why she didn't press him to marry for anything less than love. She always wanted to experience that feeling, but never got the chance to. She didn't want the same for him.

Touching his cheek softly she smiled and pushed him towards the door. "You need to go and clean up for dinner. I know that your father has arranged for quite a few women to be there in hopes that you choose a mate." Seeing the disdainful look on his face she quickly added, "I will speak to him tonight about a mate for you – other than a saiyan."

He grinned, and in that instant he looked so childish, just like the little boy she used to hold. 'They grow up all too fast,' she thought with a long sigh.

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Toma looked at the sleeping form of her husband. She smiled at the peaceful expression on his face, something that he never had when alert. Her thoughts turned to her son. He had that exact peaceful expression too whenever she looked in on him sleeping.

As her thoughts turned to her son she thought about what she had to do tonight. Effortlessly, she slipped out of the bed that she shared with her husband, picked up her robe and crept out of the room. She knew that he wouldn't miss her since they never bonded; something looked down upon among members of the royal family.

She snuck out of the castle and headed north towards the one place where she knew that she could find answers.

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The old wooden doors creaked open noisily, making the intruder wince slightly. The noise irritated her sensitive ears and she rubbed them slightly before entering. She looked around the somewhat dark place, adjusting quickly to the light. She walked towards the figure in the corner and he wordlessly took her to the innermost chambers.

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A few hours later Toma walked out of the structure and made her way back to the palace, content with what she found out.

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Burian groaned and twitched as a foreign scent assaulted him. Rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them he turned to see a onna besides him. He struggled for a name as she too woke up. Her smile made him fight the urge to raise an eyebrow and he got up and left for the baths without so much as a word to her. She sat there sort of in shock as a maid came in to clean the room.

Yet another onna cast aside by the prince. 'When will they learn…………..' she thought as she got the girl off the bed and helped her dress.

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When he came back the room was clean and free of that onna's scent. It was like this every time and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. But then again he never held any pretenses towards them. They knew that he didn't want them as mates and still they came in hopes of being the one who changed his mind. Throwing themselves at him only proved to make him disinterested and those that did prove a challenge weren't much of one.

What did he want exactly? He didn't exactly know. He didn't put too much thought into it. But he did know that he didn't want the onnas around him.

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Toma sighed as she looked at her husband. They had gotten into an argument and her head hurt. He wasn't listening to her and it irritated her to no end.

"Why won't you consider it Vegeta," she asked.

"His mate should come from one of the southern houses Toma," he responded stubbornly.

"But our son doesn't want that. Besides you know as well as I do what his fate is. How can you deny him? The prophesy says that he would marry an alien princess from a distant planet and together they will bring an era of peace, hope and unity between the four houses. How can you make him do something that is against that? Do you not realize that he is the saiyan of legends?"

"Don't you think I know that? I am not stupid onna, never forget that. Those things are fairytales, designed to keep our people from moving on and into a new era. Most of us have discarded them and yet you hold firm to those old teachings?"

"They're not fairytales! Our son is living proof of that! Why can't you see that?"

"We have bigger problems than our son's love life right now. A union is desperately needed. Who knows how long it'll be before we have another war on our hands. Things are just too unstable right now."

"A war? With who?"

"Those disgusting ice-jins. They came here in peace but something's not right. Anyway we can't afford to play with other planets now so leave it alone. He can get married after this war is over, Toma." King Vegeta said standing up.

Queen Toma blinked as he walked away abruptly. She didn't know anything about this new war. Ice-jins? Those strange lizard-like creatures that came last year? She wasn't comfortable with them when they came, but she never thought that it was this serious. Is that why he was always in conference with the other kings of vegeta-sei? He was planning something, of that she was sure. She too got up and left intent on finding her son.

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Burian was finishing up yet another sparing match when his father's messenger came. At first he didn't even acknowledge the male's presence but after a while he became annoyed and stopped. Besides the male's scent was starting to irritate him and he wanted to send him away as quickly as possible.

"This had better be important," he said stonily.

"The king asks that you meet him right away my prince," he said bowing. Burian wrinkled his nose, feeling an almost irresistible urge to blast the offending smell and the male associated with it.

"Dismissed," he said quickly, turning away from him and going to the bathhouse to get presentable.

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By the time Queen Toma got to where her son was supposed to be he was gone and she knew only one other place he could be.

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Heated discussions were going on when the doors were opened suddenly and Queen Toma appeared. All eyes were on her as she advanced towards the king, determination and rage shining through them. "He is not going anywhere."

"Toma –"

"NO! I don't know what is going on here but I will not allow you to send my only son anywhere!"

"This doesn't concern you, Toma. Leave now," he said sternly, their gazes locked.

"How can you say that? Am I not his mother? Why else would you need him if not to fight in this disgusting war! I-" she was cut off by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to face her son. To save his mother further embarrassment at the hands of his father he pulled her out of the room.

"Toma" he said taking her hand, "I want to do this. I'm the best and strongest warrior here and I can't send men out there and not be there myself. I have to go."

"But you're my only son. I couldn't bare it if I lost you," she said hugging him.

"Nothing will happen to me mother, I promise. Sure I'll get kicked around but we'll beat them," he said laughing a bit. She smiled at his words but deep inside, she had a sinking feeling about it all. And if her thoughts were true then she was the only one who could save him.

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Preparation work for the invasion of the nearby planet of sarij-sei was underway. Sure it was a secret and everything was done underground and at night but still the ice-jin suspected something. They prepared themselves as well knowing that the saiyans couldn't be fully trusted. They were wary of their temperamental allies and their alliance was a fragile at best.

They would attack in a week's time. King Vegeta was aware that the ice-jins knew of their plans and he didn't want to give them any time to get ready. If they did it quickly, then they would have the element of surprise and that should work in their favor.

On the night before they were leaving to start the invasion, Queen Toma was plagued with a nightmare.

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_Fires and the dead bodies of saiyan-jins and ice-jins alike were strewn across the battlefield as the remaining warriors remained locked in heated battled. From what she saw, the saiyans were losing as more and more ice-jins came out to replace their fallen comrades. Panic overcame her at once and she struggled to find her son in the chaos. She found him, and when she did she let out a gasp of complete horror._

_His handsome face was dirty, covered in blood and it was clear that he was in pain. His left arm seemed broken as it hung uselessly at his side. His breathing was in very labored gasps, his tattered and torn clothing barely clinging to his bruised body. His adversary was in just as bad shape as he was, if not worse, having lost his arm and tail. She recognized the ice-jin as the prince of that race. Both had already reached their limit but neither wanted to go down without a fight. The intense fire in her son's eyes made her pause before she was compelled to run towards him. Her intent was to protect her son from the beast before him, but to her despair, as she touched him, her hand passed through him and she fell to the ground. She watched in silent horror as the two rushed towards each other and clashed in a violent display of raw power. When it was over, her son's body fell forward, lying lifeless on the ground, his eyes open and staring into the distance._

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Toma sat upright in bed gasping for air. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest it was starting to hurt. She couldn't ignore that vision, it was just too much. She glanced at soundly sleeping husband and made a resolution. She was going to protect her son at all costs. And no one was going to stop her.

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Edited for easier reading


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Toma stood there with both her husband and son, the two most important men in her life, for what she knew was the last time. They were both heading out to the battle and she wanted to be there and tell them goodbye in their final moments before leaving.

She hugged her son tightly, not wanting to let go, her eyes shut. She finally did let go however, and kissed him on the cheek, running her hand through his soft, pale lavender hair. He returned the gesture, being careful not to hurt her small aging body. She then went to her husband and, in a rare display of respect and submission kneeled before him. King Vegeta bent down, took her hands into his own and lifted her to her feet. It was clear from the large tears that rolled down her face that she was crying as she embraced him, and openly kissed him tenderly on the lips. It was the first and last time since their wedding day that they did that.

Toma was still crying when they entered their space pods and blasted off towards the green planet. She continued to look on as more and more space pods took off, all heading in the same direction. The sky was full of white streaks, a beautiful display on such a somber day. She knew deep inside that they would never be seen again and hoped that they had enough time to say proper goodbyes to their families and loved ones.

Toma breathed in deeply, closing her eyes for a few moments in silent meditation. With a nod of her head, she left the launch platform and went back to that old structure where she worshiped to fulfill her promise from the night before.

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Prince Burian glanced at the timer which showed how long until they landed. In the silence of the pod he had time to think about the approaching battle but his mind was elsewhere. All thoughts were focused on the one person who ever showed him kindness and tenderness. His mother worried him a lot, and he couldn't concentrate on what was at hand.

At first she was very defensive and protective of him, but, this morning, she seemed resigned. Her faded dark eyes had a look that disturbed him, even frightened him and he couldn't focus on what he had to do. It was almost as if she – He shook his head, deciding not continue that train of thought. He just hoped that he'll be able to focus on the fight once he got there.

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The old heavy wooden doors groaned loudly as Toma pushed them open. Inside looked pitch black to her unadjusted eyes, as she walked in, closing the doors behind her. Blinking a few times, her eyes soon adjusted and the familiar windowless room came into view. It was very large and round with a high ceiling. The walls were lined with large heavy cloth of different colors, upon which different principles and saiyan laws were embroidered. There were several large marble statues looked ominously down at her, rekindling the feeling of discomfort she always felt whenever she came here. As she walked towards the doors behind which the smaller shrine chambers lay, dust rose with each step from huge ornate rug on the floor.

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Toma stood before the small old shrine in the side chamber, her head bowed and her hands joined in prayer. She then approached the walls of scrolls and pulled down the rolled scrolls on the wall, pinning them down so that their words were clearly visible. Tearing off a piece of her garment, she dusted the old statue then anointed it with the scented oil and powders she carried with her. In one corner of the room, propped against the wall lay an old pillow used in the ceremonies which once took place here. She brought it out and shook out as much of the dust from it as she could then placed it in the center of the room, on the ancient faded symbol of the temple on floor.

Toma opened windows to let some light into the otherwise black room. A soft draft of clean air entered the room, stirring the dusty blood red and black curtains into the room. She then lit the candles that still remained, arranging them carefully so that they illuminated the text on the scrolls where the sunlight could not reach.

Having completed the preparations, she took her place seated on the pillow facing the wall scrolls and began to read.

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Burian looked at the ice-jin soldiers ready for battle before them. 'They were waiting for us,' he thought absently, surveying the numbers which he estimated at about 30,000 strong, give or take 5,000. He glanced at his father, who's expression was grim and yet oddly excited. He too felt that way. It thrilled him a little that this was going to be the fight of his life. It was situations like this that they lived for, and by the looks of things, this situation would surly not disappoint them. Burian could feel the rush of battle coursing through his veins, heightening his excitement. All his senses were on high alert, his body ready to move into action at a moment's notice.

A stray movement caught his attention and his eyes darted towards the source. He spotted the ice-jin royalty advancing towards them and stiffed, making sure to stand tall and look proud, a perfect mirror of his father.

"You made a mistake coming here Vegeta," King Frost said looking at him and his army when he finally arrived, his overconfidence clearly evident in his voice and demeanor. "Hehehe," he chuckled, his voice irritatingly high pitched and laced with disgust. "To what do we owe this pleasure Vegeta? You're early, and I thought you apes hated traveling."

"By the looks of things we came here right on time. Preparing for an invasion are you?" King Vegeta smirked.

King Frost sneered at him, and then a smile twisted his lips. "It looks like you're the one doing the invading. This is suicide you know."

King Vegeta said nothing, but looked the ice-jin squarely in the eye, his gaze unwavering. Burian smirked when the ice-jin king frowned. "I guess we found out didn't we? Disappointed that we saw through you? Your plans are as transparent as the ice hole you live in. Then again you're very predictable."

"Disgusting monkeys, you will eat those words!" he sneered lunging for King Vegeta's throat. And with that the battle commenced.

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Princess Serenity had been waiting for a long time now, for someone, anyone to show up. The windowless room was illuminated with candle light and a strange glow of unknown origins, which cast an eerie shadow on the sparse but nonetheless beautiful items in the room. A faintly glowing eight-point star was painted on the floor and she sat there in the middle of it on a large white pillow.

Her heart rate was a little faster than usual, making her feel like she had just run into the room. The bare white walls had onyx cloth scrolls with different prayer painted or embroidered in silver on them. She couldn't tell which since they were too far away. She didn't dare move from the spot where she was since her mother sternly told her not to.

Serenity didn't know why she was even here. All she knew was that her mother sent for her then gave her to the attendants. They bathed and dressed her in these odd garments and heavy jewelry, then brought her to that room. Her mother guided her sit down and told her not to move but meditate and pray, then left. And that was, she supposed, hours ago.

She had gone over the things in the room, each time noticing something different. Like that statue in the corner. Didn't its finger point in the other direction……….

She shook her head, in an attempt at clearing it. "Get a grip Serenity," she whispered to herself as she tried to keep her imagination under wraps. She studied the wall scrolls, finding that while they were written in the old style language, she could oddly enough read them.

She tilted her head a bit and began to read them one by one. The first one was a prayer for release of the spirit for rebirth, which she thought was strange. The next one asked for purity of the body, mind and soul. The next one asked for a unity of the previous elements and for power to defeat the enemies which stand before. The last one was simple. It was odd really, until she said it out loud.

"Release the chosen one?"

She instantly regretted those words.

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He was tired. His body hurt in places he didn't know he had and he was losing power. How may of those ice-jins had he killed anyway? 1000? 2000? He wasn't sure, but he did know that they were quickly multiplying like flies and this wasn't even their home planet! But this was, by far, the most fun he had in a very long time, even if he was losing. The ice-jin prince was proving to be more formidable that he could have imagined. But even with things looking this grim he felt more alive than he ever felt when he was back home. It was an odd feeling.

His hair blew in his face as he and that ugly ice-jin stared at each other. An odd thought struck him in that instant. Why hadn't he bothered to find out his name anyway? That didn't matter now anyway. They both were in bad shape and they both looked at the end of their limit. Night was already upon them but the moon hadn't risen yet and he didn't know if he could last that long without it.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the ice-jin once again transformed. His eyes widened as he finished. He looked as good as new, and here he was not even sure if he could last into the next hour.

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Toma slowly read each scroll, letting their meaning sink into her. Her resolve started to waver a bit when she read the second one but all she had to do was think about her vision from the night before and it was strengthened. Clearing her throat she read the third one out loud, echoing its words in her mind.

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Burian cried out as he slammed into the ground. He heard some of his bones audibly snap and he closed his eyes. He would die here. He felt awful that he promised his mother that he would return in a fit of over confidence. He wanted to give up, but his will to fight and keep his promise to his mother made him get up again despite his tormentors snide and jeering remarks.

Every muscle protested as he literally dragged himself off the ground. If something didn't happen soon, then they would be finished. He scanned the sky for any sign of the moon but saw nothing. It was too overcast to see anything except the thick blanket of clouds which hung in the sky.

'There goes our brilliant plan' he thought as he barely dodged another blow by the ice-jin beast.

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With the last scroll to be read, she stopped suddenly and closed her eyes. She shared a special bond with her son, one that only exists between a mother and child; she cleared her mind waiting for the moment when he needed her most.

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He gasped for air and desperately tried to break free as he was lifted off the ground by his neck to be eye to eye with his assailant. He felt the life drain out of him as his vision darkened due to the heavy abuse and the extensive loss of blood his body had suffered. He was dying, his body growing cold and weak with each moment. His struggling started to slow down until they all but stopped.

He felt himself being slammed back into the ground, even more bones breaking from the impact. It was over, that much he knew and his one thought was of the mother he left behind.

'I'm sorry,' he thought as he started to succumb to his fate and the welcome embrace of death enveloped him.

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'_I'm sorry' _Toma heard faintly in the back of her mind. 'Burian!' her mind screamed. It was time. Opening her eyes she quickly finished the ancient prayer. "Release the chosen one!" she cried out hoping that it wasn't too late to save him.

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Burian felt an odd sensation. He thought he was dying, but suddenly he felt power coursing through him. After a while his injuries didn't hurt anymore and he was able to stand up. He saw surprise on the face of the ice-jin and smirked. But all too soon his smirk faded as whatever was powering him up didn't stop. He felt it surging into him, getting stronger and stronger. His heart rate quickened as he forced himself not to panic.

The power started to consume him, and he felt like he was on fire. His aura flared up a bright and very angry red which made the ice-jin take a step back in surprise. All fighting stopped as everyone gazed at the saiyan prince. He cried out trying anything to stop what was happening. He opened his eyes and they made contact with the moonlight, the clouds dissipating from the shear power radiating from his body.

It was all too much for him; he started to change and felt his power grow even more. Rage took over as his eyes grew blood red and the beast inside was unleashed.

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As Toma slumped to the floor, her life leaving her, she knew she had done the right thing. She only hopped that he and her husband would forgive her for leaving them.

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Burning. Her flesh seemed on fire, like she was being consumed from within and without. It was so hot, it felt like she had been doused with oil and set on fire. She did the only thing she could do, in a desperate attempt for help and relief.

She screamed.

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Somewhere in a room similar to the one where her daughter was in, her mother closed her eyes for the last time, knowing this was for the best. She had done her part and had no regrets. She only hoped that Serenity would forgive her for what she had done.

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His transformation didn't help ease the pain he was in. Soon after reaching his oozaru form the pain intensified. He doubled over, and then started to destroy everything around him, in a blind rage. Saiyan and ice-jin alike ran for cover in vain to get out of Prince Burian's way. King Vegeta just stood there in shock and awe of the sheer power his son radiated. "He is the legend," He whispered, staring.

But all too soon he realized that his son was out of control and that he would definitely destroy the planet itself. So he ran, with his fellow soldiers back to the ships to find one that was not too badly destroyed. By luck he stumbled upon the one that had brought his son here. King Vegeta quickly got inside, keying in the co-ordinates for his home planet. As the doors closed, he glanced at his son one last time, and saw him transform again.

He had turned golden!

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A few space pods streaked towards the planet Vegeta-sei as the entire planet exploded in a brilliant display of light.

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Inspiration for this story suddenly struck me while talking to my friend saiyagurl and since she's started writing again and made me feel guilty! I felt it was necessary to update. I know some of you guys out there want me to update another fic of mine but right now I'm a bit too discontented with it to finish just yet.


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